Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İzmir Deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü said yesterday that if the recent decision requiring those accused on terrorism charges and convicts to don a single-type uniform is not taken back, there will be protests against the new regulations.
"There have been preparations for protests in prison against the single-type uniform. The government has time to give up the decision. Otherwise there will be single-type protests in prisons," Kürkçü said in a press conference.
The statutory decree published in the Official Gazette, which requires terrorism suspects and convicts to wear a single-type uniform, has been subjected to criticism from pro-PKK circles. Senior PKK figure Mustafa Karasu also called on a united opposition in order for the "decision to be easily repelled."
According to the decree, defendants "attempting to abolish the order prescribed by the Turkish Constitution by using force and violence or to replace this order with another one or to prevent implementation of the order" and "attempting to undermine the Turkish Government by using force and violence, or to prevent it from performing its duty, partially or completely" will be required to wear a brown jumpsuit during their court appearances.
On the other hand, those who attempt to undermine Parliament or to prevent it from performing its duty partially or completely, armed rebellion against the Turkish government, assassination of and/or assault on the president, crimes against the security of the state, and crimes against the constitutional order, will wear a gray jumpsuit.
The new regulation covers 58,500 people accused of being members or heads of terrorist organizations, including the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), the PKK and Daesh.The requirement of the uniform came after a suspected member in FETÖ, which orchestrated last year's failed coup attempt, wore a T-shirt with the word "Hero" on it to court. The incident drew sharp criticism from the public, with calls for a uniform for suspects and convicts.
